Billy Boyd (Pippin) New Zealand's such a beautiful country. The land feels new; it feels like what Scotland might have been like a few million years ago; it's still forming. I love the way the volcanoes are still erupting and forming, and it just makes it a really exciting place. Elijah (Wood - Frodo Baggins) and Dominic (Monaghan - Meriadoc Brandybuck) dj'ed in clubs in Wellington. I never did but I went along and I was on the flyers! Elijah was 'DJ Elwood' and I was 'Deep Sea Diver Boyd McIver'.

Bernard Hill (Theoden) The west coast of South Island was one of my favourite places, north of the Fjords around the Franz Joseph Glacier. It's really hard to describe why it's special; you just get it when you go there. The most amazing location was Mount Potts where we filmed Edoras, the Rohan capital. It's a collection of sheep stations in the middle of South Island, but just mind blowing.

Sir Ian McKellen (Gandalf) I first thought - a year in New Zealand, great chance to visit Australia! But then almost immediately I found I was moving round the most beautiful country in the world with the most amazing variety of scenery. I fell in love in New Zealand. It's the most advanced nation socially that I know of.

Andy Serkis (Gollum) I spent time canoeing down the Wanganui river, on North Island. I went for an afternoon and it ended up being three days. I didn't realise it was 120km; I just thought I was going for a couple of hours.

Sean Astin (Sam Gamgee) I had my family with me during filming. We'd go off tramping. Whichever town we were in filming, we'd just go off exploring. My wife went paragliding while we were down there, so I had to - I couldn't just let her do it and me not.

Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn) New Zealand inspired my poetry writing and painting in ways that I'm probably not really conscious of. Certain colours now I'm looking back, more blues and greens than maybe there would have been.

Liv Tyler (Arwen) I don't think anything better than having my face on the side of a plane with Viggo Mortensen will ever happen to me in my whole life. When we took off from Wellington for the last time, there were crowds waving, and and the sun was setting. It was beautiful, and I just thought, God, this is the last time we'll ever be on a plane with our faces on it!'

Peter Jackson (director/ writer/ producer) I'm hoping to open a Lord Of The Rings museum down there, which we can't at the moment because of the Tolkien estate. But I'm hopeful it'll happen. A lot of tourists come to New Zealand because of the films, but there's nothing for them to see in terms of sets and so on. We've kept everything - every costume, every prop (in anticipation of a museum). I don't want stuff to be sold on Ebay. I think when that happens, it cheapens a movie. It makes it look like you're having a fire sale.

Change of scene

Sarah Ewing finds out where the actors spent their time between takes.

Houses During the main filming, which took a year, stars Elijah Wood, Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd stayed in rented houses in the coastal suburb of Seatoun, a 20-minute drive from downtown Wellington. Here, modern houses sit alongside brightly coloured clapboard cottages. To rent a similar house, call LJ Hooker (00 64 4 380 0964) or Leaders (+4 389 9093). Prices start from as little as NZ$900 (£340) a week.

Hotel When the cast returned in June this year to re-shoot some scenes, they stayed in The Duxton Hotel (+4 473 3900, duxton.com), overlooking the harbour. Doubles start from NZ$285. It's convenient for shopping and eating out.

Eats and drinks Between takes, Liv Tyler and Orlando Bloom would sneak off the set to the Chocolate Fish Café (497A Karaka Bay Road), for an all-day breakfast (NZ$6) while enjoying the stunning views over Corching Bay.

After sunset, the hobbits, elves and wizards came out to play. The hub of action is around Courtney Place and Cuba Street. The cast's favourite restaurant was Logan Brown (192 Cuba Street, +4 801 5114), a 1920s bank chambers renovated in a contemporary style. A two-course meal, with two wines, costs NZ$69.

For more privacy, Liv and rocker husband Royston Langdon settled for The White House (232 Oriental Parade, + 385 8555) on the seafront at Oriental Bay. It has some of the best harbour views, and veggies are well-catered for here. Liv's favourite was the pumpkin soufflé (NZ$27).

If you want more basic fare, head to Viggo's choice, the kitsch Green Parrot (16 Taranaki Street, +4 384 6080) for steak and chips (NZ$22). The restaurant was founded in 1926 by an American seaman who jumped ship in Wellington.

Partying The cast would often book out the bohemian Matterhorn (106 Cuba Street) for the night. Hidden at the back of a long corridor, the retro chic club has two main bars serving imported beers and cocktails, such as blueberry mojitos from NZ$7.

When Liv and Elijah wanted to groove the night away, they hit Studio 9 (9 Edward Street), where New Zealand's top DJs spin house, trance, and hip-hop on alternate nights.

Down time Viggo Mortensen and Billy Boyd liked to go surfing at Lyall Bay. Wild Winds (Chaffers Marina, Oriental Bay, +4 384 1010) offers a package of board and wetsuit rental, along with a two-hour lesson for NZ$60.